Discord delays global age verification rollout after backlash

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Discord is postponing the launch of its new age verification system, originally planned for all users, until sometime in 2026. This decision comes after feedback from the community raised worries about privacy and how the system would work.

This update follows Discord’s recent announcement of plans to add age verification and improved safety features worldwide. The news quickly sparked conversation online, with some users beginning to explore other platforms like TeamSpeak, which saw a surge in demand that temporarily overloaded its US servers.

Discord’s CTO, Stanislav Vishnevskiy, recently wrote a blog post explaining that the company listened to user feedback and realized their first announcement about a new feature was unclear.

Getting Global Age Assurance Right: What We Got Wrong and What’s Changing.

Read the update:

— Discord (@discord) February 24, 2026

Discord confirms delay and outlines changes

I just saw an update from Discord! They’ve said the big changes they were planning to roll out to everyone are going to be delayed a bit. They’re working on making their verification process better and being more open about how they check people’s ages, which is a good thing, honestly. They want to get it right before releasing it to everyone.

According to the post, Discord will now:

  • Delay the global rollout to the second half of 2026 while continuing to meet legal obligations in regions where age verification laws already exist
  • Add more verification options, including credit card verification
  • Publish a list of all verification vendors and explain how each handles data
  • Require facial age estimation tools to run fully on-device, meaning biometric data does not leave a user’s phone
  • Introduce a new spoiler channel option so communities can avoid age-gating servers for non-adult topics
  • Release a technical blog explaining how automatic age determination works before the global launch
  • Add age assurance metrics to transparency reports

So, Discord told us that most of us – over 90% – won’t even need to verify our age to keep using the platform. It’s mostly for those of us trying to get into age-gated content, or if we want to tweak some of the safety settings. Basically, if you’re just chilling and chatting with friends, you’re probably good to go!

Why Discord says age assurance is being added

The company explained that the system aims to provide a consistent experience for the majority of users, while also protecting teenagers with suitable safety measures and allowing adults to continue accessing all content without limitations.

As a Discord user, I was really relieved to hear how they figure out age ranges for some accounts. Apparently, they use things like how old the account is, if someone’s linked a payment method, what servers they join, and just generally how they use the app. The best part? They said this all happens automatically and doesn’t involve reading our messages or looking at what we talk about in conversations. That’s a big weight off my mind!

Discord explained that if users need to prove their age, they’ll work with outside companies to do so. These companies will only confirm a general age range, not the user’s specific identity. Discord also mentioned they briefly tested a similar service in the UK but decided against using it, and all data collected during the test was removed.

Although Discord is pausing its worldwide rollout of age verification, it will still comply with existing age verification laws in countries like the UK, Australia, and soon, Brazil.

So, even though things are changing, it looks like if I try to watch something with an age restriction, I might still need to prove I’m old enough through one of the official verification services. It’s just a little extra step to make sure everything’s following the rules.

Discord is pausing the wider release until they finish planned updates and share more technical information, with the launch now expected in 2026.

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2026-02-24 21:50